At least 40 dead in Colombian landslide

At least 40 people have been killed and dozens are missing after a landslide in northwest Colombia in the early hours of Monday, a local official said.

At least 40 people have been killed and dozens are missing after a landslide in northwest Colombia in the early hours of Monday, a local official said.

Heavy rains caused a ravine to overflow, sending mud and water onto neighboring homes in Salgar, located in Antioquia department.

"We still do not have an exact figure, I only know that there are more than 40 dead, many families displaced, but I still can't give an exact figure," local official Zulma Osorio told local Caracol Radio.

"The tragedy is of an immense magnitude," she added. "There are many more dead, the whole town is totally collapsed."

Colombia's government will provide aid to the victims, president Juan Manuel Santos said via Twitter.

"We are attending to the emergency in Salgar. Those affected will receive all our support," he said.